My work focuses on improving soil health in dryland cropping systems and working with farmers to create agricultural systems that are sustainable, resilient to climatic stress (like drought!), and profitable. My work is informed by the concept of Natural Systems Agriculture, which studies agricultural systems that try to mimic our native ecosystems and the ecosystem services that they provide.

I received my PhD in soil science from the University of Wyoming (2020-2024), where I worked with Jay & Urszula Norton and Linda van Diepen. My PhD research focused on how land management decisions can support soil health in semiarid grain production systems, and how soil microbes can help us predict changes in soil health. In particular, I studied a perennial grain called Kernza as a possibleoption for wheat-fallow agriculture. I also studied the impacts of Kernza plant breeding on the symbiotic bacteria and fungi that live on plant roots.

Currently, I’m a fellow at the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub. In this role, I’m working to enhance soil & crop health, productivity, economic security, and climate resilience, in part by facilitating collaboration among local farmers, researchers, and technical service providers.

Going farther back, I received a bachelor???s degree in biology from Oberlin College (2018) and worked as a research intern for The Land Institute (2018). In 2019, I spent a year living in an agricultural village in Sindhupalchok, Nepal, teaching English through a Fulbright grant. In my free time, I likes to hike, bike, and canoe around Laramie, Wyoming, and teach pottery to community members.